(Posted March 15, 2008)

CHESTER, Pa. -- An ill-timed error in game one and some timely hitting by Widener University in game two conspired to lead Widener to a doubleheader sweep of Juniata College, in softball action Saturday afternoon in Chester, Pa. Juniata dropped game one by a 2-1 score, and fell in the second game 3-2. In game one, an error by Caley McCool (Spring Mills, Pa./Penns Valley) at second base with two on and none out in the fifth helped extend an inning, allowing two unearned runs to score. Juniata put up one run in the first inning when Liz Schmitt (Knoxville, Tenn./H. Frank Carey) singled home Tara Carl (Duke Center, Pa./Otto-Eldred), and that lead held through the fifth. Widener opened the bottom of the fifth with a double by Rachel O'Leary followed by a single off the bat of Lauren Brubaker. Trina Menta reached on McCool's error, which allowed O'Leary to score, and Brubaker crossed two batters later on a ground out by Mallory Meyer. Juniata's Alyssa Erb (Hollidaysburg, Pa./Hollidaysburg) struck out five and scattered three hits, but was tagged with the loss. Pride starter Meyer fanned five Eagle batter and walked four while yielding seven hits on her way to the win. Game two was scoreless after seven innings, forcing the game into a tiebreaker. The Eagles plated two runs in the top of the eighth, with Rachel Nagy (Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth) singling home one run, and Jackie Morley (North Wales, Pa./Archbishop Wood) driving in Nagy with a single of her own. Widener responded with two in the bottom of the frame, pushing across one run on a grounder back to the pitcher, while the second run was plated on a Caitlin Callahan single. After holding Juniata scoreless in the top of the ninth, the Pride scored the game winner when Steph Connolly's single to left field drove in Christine Bradley. Eagle starter Pam Mansell (Centre Hall, Pa./Penns Valley) allowed eight hits and one earned run in eight-and-a-third innings of work, but suffered the loss. Widener reliever Kelsey Schultz picked up the win for her one-and-two-thirds innings in the circle. Juniata makes its home debut on Tuesday, March 18, when its hosts Penn State-Altoona in Huntingdon, Pa. -30-

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Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.